Recognition of intraglomerular histological features with deep learning in protocol transplant biopsies and their association with kidney function and prognosis.

Background: The Banff Classification may not adequately address protocol transplant biopsies categorized as normal in patients experiencing unexplained graft function deterioration. This study seeks to employ convolutional neural networks to automate the segmentation of glomerular cells and capillaries and assess their correlation with transplant function. Methods: A total of 215 patients were categorized into three groups. In the Training cohort, glomerular cells and capillaries from 37 patients were manually annotated to train the networks. The Test cohort (24 patients) compared manual annotations vs automated predictions, while the Application cohort (154 protocol transplant biopsies) examined predicted factors in relation to kidney function and prognosis. Results: In the Test cohort, the networks recognized histological structures with Precision, Recall, F-score and Intersection Over Union exceeding 0.92, 0.85, 0.89 and 0.74, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed associations between the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at biopsy and relative endothelial area (r = 0.19, P = .027), endothelial cell density (r = 0.20, P = .017), mean parietal epithelial cell area (r = -0.38, P < .001), parietal epithelial cell density (r = 0.29, P < .001) and mesangial cell density (r = 0.22, P = .010). Multivariate analysis retained only endothelial cell density as associated with eGFR (Beta = 0.13, P = .040). Endothelial cell density (r = -0.22, P = .010) and mean podocyte area (r = 0.21, P = .016) were linked to proteinuria at biopsy. Over 44 ± 29 months, 25 patients (16%) reached the primary composite endpoint (dialysis initiation, or 30% eGFR sustained decline), with relative endothelial area, mean endothelial cell area and parietal epithelial cell density below medians linked to this endpoint [hazard ratios, respectively, of 2.63 (P = .048), 2.60 (P = .039) and 3.23 (P = .019)]. Conclusion: This study automated the measurement of intraglomerular cells and capillaries. Our results suggest that the precise segmentation of endothelial and epithelial cells may serve as a potential future marker for the risk of graft loss.

Anogenital distribution of mucosal HPV in males and females before and after renal transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Immunosuppressive drugs taken by transplant recipients may favor HPV infection at anogenital sites. HPV-type prevalence was studied in males and females before and after renal transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Anal, cervical and penile samples were taken from 62 patients before transplantation and from 41 patients after transplantation. HPV DNA was investigated using the INNO-LiPA HPV genotyping extra test and HPV-type distribution determined. RESULTS: Before transplantation, up to 30% of analyzed samples harbored HPV DNA, with the highest prevalence found in cervical specimens (60%). After transplantation, a trend toward HPV clearance was observed in females. By contrast, a trend toward incident infections by a wide variety of HPV genotypes at the penis and anal level was documented in men. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of HPV at anogenital sites was documented before and after renal transplantation. Immunosuppressive drugs taken after transplantation may impact HPV acquisition or reactivation, especially in males. Special attention should be paid in view of preventing HPV-associated diseases in this vulnerable population.

Kidney Transplantation in Patients With AA Amyloidosis: Outcomes in a French Multicenter Cohort.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of kidney transplantation for patients with renal AA amyloidosis are uncertain, with reports of poor survival and high rates of disease recurrence. However, the data are inconclusive and mostly based on studies from the early 2000s and earlier. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective multicenter cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: We searched the French national transplant database to identify all patients with renal AA amyloidosis who underwent kidney transplantation between 2008 and 2018. EXPOSURES: Age, cause of amyloidosis, use of biotherapies, and C-reactive protein levels. OUTCOMES: Outcomes were all-cause mortality and allograft loss. We also reported amyloidosis allograft recurrence, occurrence of acute rejection episodes, as well as infectious, cardiovascular, and neoplastic disease events. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Kaplan-Meier estimator for mortality and cumulative incidence function method for allograft loss. Factors associated with patient and allograft survival were investigated using a Cox proportional hazards model and a cause-specific hazards model, respectively. RESULTS: 86 patients who received kidney transplants for AA amyloidosis at 26 French centers were included. The median age was 49.4 years (IQR, 39.7-61.1). The main cause of amyloidosis was familial Mediterranean fever (37 cases; 43%). 16 (18.6%) patients received biotherapy after transplantation. Patient survival rates were 94.0% (95% CI, 89.1-99.2) at 1 year and 85.5% (77.8-94.0) at 5 years after transplantation. Cumulative incidences of allograft loss were 10.5% (4.0-17.0) at 1 year and 13.0% (5.8-20.1) at 5 years after transplantation. Histologically proven AA amyloidosis recurrence occurred in 5 transplants (5.8%). An infection requiring hospitalization developed in 55.8% of cases, and there was a 27.9% incidence of acute allograft rejection. Multivariable analysis showed that C-reactive protein concentration at the time of transplantation was associated with patient survival (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00-1.02; P=0.01) and allograft survival (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.10-2.57; P=0.02). LIMITATIONS: The study lacked a control group, and the effect of biotherapies on transplantation outcomes could not be explored. CONCLUSIONS: This relatively contemporary cohort of patients who received a kidney transplant for AA amyloidosis experienced favorable rates of survival and lower recurrence rates than previously reported. These data support the practice of treating these patients with kidney transplantation for end-stage kidney disease. PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY: AA amyloidosis is a severe and rare disease. Kidney involvement is frequent and leads to end-stage kidney disease. Because of the involvement of other organs, these patients are often frail, which has raised concerns about their suitability for kidney transplantation. We reviewed all patients with AA amyloidosis nephropathy who underwent kidney transplantation in France in the recent era (2008-2018) and found that the outcomes after kidney transplantation were favorable, with 85.5% of patients still alive 5 years after transplantation, a survival rate that is comparable to the outcomes of patients receiving a transplant for other forms of kidney diseases. Recurrence of amyloidosis in the transplanted kidney was infrequent (5.8%). These data support the practice of kidney transplantation for patients with AA amyloidosis who experience kidney failure.

Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Cardiovascular Events in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events (CVEs) compared with the general population. The impact of insulin resistance on CV risk after transplantation is not well defined. Methods: We tested whether triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a surrogate marker of insulin resistance, may predict posttransplant CVEs in a cohort of 715 consecutive KTRs all included 1 year after transplant. Results: Follow-up was 9.1 ± 4.6 years. Mean TyG at inclusion was 4.75 ± 0.29 (median, 4.73 [4.14-5.84]). In multiple regression analysis, having a TyG above the median value was associated with higher body mass index (BMI), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and greater urinary protein excretion. A total of 127 CVEs (17.7%) occurred during the study period. In univariate analysis, TyG was strongly associated with CVE occurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 2.06, 95% CI 1.42-3.50, for each increase of 0.1 in TyG, P < 0.001). The best predictive value was 4.87 (HR 6.32, 95% CI 3.30-12.11, P < 0.001). The risk of CVE gradually increased with higher TyG index (quartile 2, HR 1.71, 95% CI 0.84-5.20, P = 0.139; quartile 3, HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.61-6.02, P < 0.001; quartile 4, HR 7.46, 95% CI 4.03-13.80, P < 0.001, vs. quartile 1). TyG remained associated with CVE in multivariate analysis (HR 2.11, 95% CI 1.22-3.68, for each increase of 0.1 in TyG, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Insulin resistance, as measured by the TyG index is strongly associated with CVE in KTRs. Improving insulin sensitivity seems to be a major issue to prevent CV morbidity and mortality in this high-risk population.

Immune modulation with extracorporeal photopheresis in renal transplantation: proof of concept clinical outcomes and perspective / Immunomodulation par photo-chimiothérapie extracorporelle en transplantation rénale : preuves de concept, données cliniques et perspectives

For 30 years, photopheresis is used to treat graft versus host disease and heart or lung allograft rejection. In this review, we discuss the place of photopheresis in kidney transplantation both in prevention or treatment of rejection. Mechanisms of action in kidney transplantation are mainly based on results observed in graft versus host disease and in heart or lung transplantation. Photopheresis may induce innate and adaptive immunity changes with restauration of a favourable Th1/Th2 immune balance, an expansion of LT /LB reg subsets, and a local enrichment in IL-10. French national clinical and mechanistic studies are underway to define the place of photopheresis therapy in immunomodulation strategies in kidney transplantation.

Depuis presque 30 ans, l'utilisation de la photo-chimiothérapie (PEC) a montré son efficacité dans le contrôle de la maladie du greffon contre l'hôte et dans le traitement du rejet d'allogreffe cardiaque et pulmonaire. L'utilisation de la PEC en transplantation rénale pourrait apporter un bénéfice thérapeutique sans majoration du risque infectieux ou oncologique, tant en prévention que dans le traitement du rejet. Il existe peu de données sur les mécanismes d'action de la PEC, les principales hypothèses reposant sur les résultats observés dans la maladie du greffon contre l'hôte ou en transplantation cardiaque et pulmonaire. La PEC induirait des modifications de l'immunité innée et adaptative dont la restauration d'un équilibre de la balance Th1/Th2 et une expansion des sous-populations LT/B régulatrices ainsi qu'une modification de l'environnement cytokinique avec enrichissement en IL-10. En France, des études cliniques et mécanistiques sont en cours pour affiner la place de la PEC dans les stratégies d'immunomodulation en transplantation rénale.

Transfused Red Blood Cell Characteristics and Kidney Transplant Outcomes Among Patients Receiving Early Posttransplant Transfusion.

Importance: Red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) is frequently required in the early post-kidney transplant period, but long-term outcomes associated with RBCT is controversial. Therefore, it may be relevant to investigate the association between RBCT characteristics and transplant outcomes. Objective: To study the association between RBC storage duration and transplant outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a nationwide retrospective cohort study based on data linking between 2 prospective French nationwide registries. Clinical transplant parameters, outcomes, and RBCT characteristics were extracted from the CRISTAL registry of the Agence de la Biomédecine and the national database of the Etablissement Français du Sang. All 12 559 patients having received a first kidney transplant in France between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2008, were included. Patients were followed up from transplant to graft loss, death with a functional graft, or data retrieval in June 2016. Data were analyzed from April 2019 to June 2022. Exposures: Clinical outcomes of transplant recipients who underwent early RBCT were analyzed considering transfusion characteristics. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to evaluate transplant failure defined as graft loss or death with a functional graft. Results: Among 12 559 patients who underwent kidney transplant, 3483 received an RBCT during the first 14 days posttransplant. The median (IQR) age of patients was 53.0 (41.5-61.2) years, and 1929 patients (55.4%) were male. Median (IQR) follow-up was 7.8 (7.6-8.0) years. In multivariable analysis, longer (vs shorter) storage duration of transfused RBC was associated with a decrease in risk of transplant failure (hazard ratio, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-1.00 for each additional storage day; P = .06). Patients transfused with at least 1 RBC unit stored for more than 20 days had a 5% absolute decrease in transplant failure at 3 years and 7% at 5 years compared with those who received RBC stored for less than 20 days. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, longer RBC storage duration was associated with a decreased risk of transplant failure among patients who received kidney transplants and RBC transfusions. Preferential use of RBC with longer storage duration might improve kidney graft survival following transplant and transfusion.

Pre-transplant immune profile defined by principal component analysis predicts acute rejection after kidney transplantation.

Background: Acute rejection persists as a frequent complication after kidney transplantation. Defining an at-risk immune profile would allow better preventive approaches. Methods: We performed unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis on pre-transplant immunological phenotype in 1113 renal transplant recipients from the ORLY-EST cohort. Results: We identified three immune profiles correlated with clinical phenotypes. A memory immune cluster was defined by memory CD4+T cell expansion and decreased naïve CD4+T cell. An activated immune cluster was characterized by an increase in CD8+T cells and a decreased CD4/CD8 ratio. A naïve immune cluster was mainly defined by increased naïve CD4+T cells. Patients from the memory immune profile tend to be older and to have diabetes whereas those from the activated immune profile were younger and more likely to have pre-transplant exposure to CMV. Patients from the activated immune profile were more prone to experience acute rejection than those from other clusters [(HR=1.69, 95%IC[1.05-2.70], p=0.030) and (HR=1.85; 95%IC[1.16-3.00], p=0.011). In the activated immune profile, those without previous exposure to CMV (24%) were at very high risk of acute rejection (27 vs 16%, HR=1.85; 95%IC[1.04-3.33], p=0.039). Conclusion: Immune profile determination based on principal component analysis defines clinically different sub-groups and discriminate a population at high-risk of acute rejection.

Determinants of urgent start dialysis in a chronic kidney disease cohort followed by nephrologists.

BACKGROUND: The French Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (REIN) registry collect dialysis initiation context for each patient starting dialysis with a flawed definition of urgent start dialysis (USD). The main objective of this study was to identify factors associated with USD in patients regularly followed-up by a nephrologist using a classification of USD considering the preparation to renal replacement therapy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients who started dialysis between 2012 and 2018 in the Franche-Comté region of France after a minimum of two nephrology consultations. We classified dialysis initiation context as follows: USD for patients with no dialysis access (DA) created or planned, unplanned non urgent start dialysis (UNUSD) for patients starting with a recent or non-functional DA and planned start dialysis (PSD) for those starting with a functional and mature DA. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-five patients met inclusion criteria. According to REIN registry, 94 (20.3%) patients were urgent starters (US) whereas with our classification 80 (17.2%) and 73 (15.7%) where respectively US and unplanned non urgent starters (UNUS). The factors independently associated with USD in our classification were: stroke (odds ratio(OR) = 2.76, 95% confidence interval (95%CI)=[1.41-5.43]), cardiac failure (OR = 1.78, 95%CI=[1.07-2.96]) and the number of nephrology consultations prior dialysis onset (OR = 0.73, 95%CI=[0.64-0.83]). Thirty-one patients died during the first year after dialysis start. According to our classification, we observed significantly different survival probabilities: 95.7%, 89.5% and 83.4% respectively for planned starters, UNUS and US (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The two factors independently associated with USD were cardiac failure and stroke.

Automated evaluation with deep learning of total interstitial inflammation and peritubular capillaritis on kidney biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial inflammation and peritubular capillaritis are observed in many diseases on native and transplant kidney biopsies. A precise and automated evaluation of these histological criteria could help stratify patients' kidney prognoses and facilitate therapeutic management. METHODS: We used a convolutional neural network to evaluate those criteria on kidney biopsies. A total of 423 kidney samples from various diseases were included; 83 kidney samples were used for the neural network training, 106 for comparing manual annotations on limited areas to automated predictions, and 234 to compare automated and visual gradings. RESULTS: The precision, recall and F-score for leukocyte detection were, respectively, 81%, 71% and 76%. Regarding peritubular capillaries detection the precision, recall and F-score were, respectively, 82%, 83% and 82%. There was a strong correlation between the predicted and observed grading of total inflammation, as for the grading of capillaritis (r = 0.89 and r = 0.82, respectively, all P < .0001). The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the prediction of pathologists' Banff total inflammation (ti) and peritubular capillaritis (ptc) scores were respectively all above 0.94 and 0.86. The kappa coefficients between the visual and the neural networks' scores were respectively 0.74, 0.78 and 0.68 for ti ≥1, ti ≥2 and ti ≥3, and 0.62, 0.64 and 0.79 for ptc ≥1, ptc ≥2 and ptc ≥3. In a subgroup of patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy, the inflammation severity was highly correlated to kidney function at biopsy on univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSION: We developed a tool using deep learning that scores the total inflammation and capillaritis, demonstrating the potential of artificial intelligence in kidney pathology.

C3 Glomerulopathy With Concurrent Thrombotic Microangiopathy: Clinical and Immunological Features.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: C3 glomerulopathy (C3GN) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) are 2 distinct rare kidney diseases caused by dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. Patients with C3GN and concurrent kidney lesions of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) have been rarely reported. We characterized the clinical features and underlying immunological abnormalities in these patients. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: Patients with C3GN and concomitant TMA lesions on biopsy registered from 2009 to 2019 in the French National Registry of C3GN. FINDINGS: Among 278 registered patients with C3GN, 16 (6%) had biopsy-proven glomerular and/or vascular TMA lesions. Their median age at diagnosis was 39 years (range, 7-76), and 59% were female. Fourteen of the 16 patients (88%) had an estimated glomerular filtration rate of<30mL/min/1.73m2 and 3 of 16 (19%) required dialysis. Twelve of the 14 evaluated patients (86%) showed evidence of mechanical hemolysis. Fifty percent of the patients had low C3 levels. Six of the 14 evaluated patients had a rare variant in complement genes, and 4 of the 16 patients (25%) had monoclonal gammopathy. Among the 16 patients, 10 (63%) received eculizumab, 5 (31%) received immunosuppressive therapy, and 4 (25%) received clone-targeted chemotherapy. Median kidney survival was 49 months. LIMITATIONS: Small retrospective case series with a limited number of biopsies including electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant C3GN and TMA is extremely rare and is associated with poor kidney outcomes. Genetic or acquired abnormalities of the alternative complement pathway are common as is the presence of monoclonal gammopathy, which may inform the selection of treatment approaches.

Deep learning automation of MEST-C classification in IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Although the MEST-C classification is among the best prognostic tools in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), it has a wide interobserver variability between specialized pathologists and others. Therefore we trained and evaluated a tool using a neural network to automate the MEST-C grading. METHODS: Biopsies of patients with IgAN were divided into three independent groups: the Training cohort (n = 42) to train the network, the Test cohort (n = 66) to compare its pixel segmentation to that made by pathologists and the Application cohort (n = 88) to compare the MEST-C scores computed by the network or by pathologists. RESULTS: In the Test cohort, >73% of pixels were correctly identified by the network as M, E, S or C. In the Application cohort, the neural network area under the receiver operating characteristics curves were 0.88, 0.91, 0.88, 0.94, 0.96, 0.96 and 0.92 to predict M1, E1, S1, T1, T2, C1 and C2, respectively. The kappa coefficients between pathologists and the network assessments were substantial for E, S, T and C scores (kappa scores of 0.68, 0.79, 0.73 and 0.70, respectively) and moderate for M score (kappa score of 0.52). Network S and T scores were associated with the occurrence of the composite survival endpoint (death, dialysis, transplantation or doubling of serum creatinine) [hazard ratios 9.67 (P = .006) and 7.67 (P < .001), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: This work highlights the possibility of automated recognition and quantification of each element of the MEST-C classification using deep learning methods.

Nonskeletal and skeletal effects of high doses versus low doses of vitamin D3 in renal transplant recipients: Results of the VITALE (VITamin D supplementation in renAL transplant recipients) study, a randomized clinical trial.

Vitamin D sufficiency is associated with a reduced risk of fractures, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular events, and cancers, which are frequent complications after renal transplantation. The VITALE (VITamin D supplementation in renAL transplant recipients) study is a multicenter double-blind randomized trial, including nondiabetic adult renal transplant recipients with serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH) vitamin D) levels of <30 ng/mL, which is randomized 12 to 48 months after transplantation to receive high (100 000 IU) or low doses (12 000 IU) of cholecalciferol every 2 weeks for 2 months and then monthly for 22 months. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint, including diabetes mellitus, major cardiovascular events, cancer, and death. Of 536 inclusions (50.8 [13.7] years, 335 men), 269 and 267 inclusions were in the high-dose and low-dose groups, respectively. The serum 25(OH) vitamin D levels increased by 23 versus 6 ng/mL in the high-dose and low-dose groups, respectively (P < .0001). In the intent-to-treat analysis, 15% versus 16% of the patients in the high-dose and low-dose groups, respectively, experienced a first event of the composite endpoint (hazard ratio, 0.94 [0.60-1.48]; P = .78), whereas 1% and 4% of patients in the high-dose and low-dose groups, respectively, experienced an incident symptomatic fracture (odds ratio, 0.24 [0.07-0.86], P = .03). The incidence of adverse events was similar between the groups. After renal transplantation, high doses of cholecalciferol are safe but do not reduce extraskeletal complications (trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; identifier: NCT01431430).

Early Post-Transplant Red Blood Cell Transfusion Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Transplant Failure: A Nationwide French Study.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are frequently required in the early period after kidney transplantation. However, the consequences of RBC transfusions on long-term outcomes are largely unrecognized. Methods: We conducted a nationwide French cohort study involving all 31 French kidney transplant centers. Patients having received a first kidney transplant between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2008 were identified through the national registry of the French BioMedecine Agency (Agence de BioMédecine). Number and date of RBC transfusions were collected from the national database of the French transfusion public service. The primary endpoint was transplant failure defined as graft loss or death with a functional graft. Results: Among 12,559 patients included during the study period, 3,483 (28%) were transfused during the first 14 days post-transplant. Median follow-up was 7.6 (7.5-7.8) years. Multivariable analysis determined that post-transplant RBC transfusion was associated with an increased risk in transplant failure (HR 1.650, 95%CI [1.538;1.771] p<0.0001). Both sensitivity and propension score analyses confirmed the previous result. Conclusions: Early red blood cell transfusion after kidney transplantation is associated with increased transplant failure.

Complement Activation and Thrombotic Microangiopathy Associated With Monoclonal Gammopathy: A National French Case Series.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with kidney involvement, is a rare condition in patients with monoclonal gammopathy. In the absence of known causes of TMA, the role of complement activation in endothelial injury in patients with monoclonal gammopathy remains unknown and was the focus of this investigation. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: We studied the 24 patients in the French national registry of HUS between 2000 and 2020 who had monoclonal gammopathy without other causes of secondary TMA. We provide the clinical histories and complement studies of these patients. FINDINGS: Monoclonal gammopathy-associated TMA with kidney involvement is estimated to be 10 times less frequent than adult atypical HUS (aHUS) in the French national registry. It is characterized by severe clinical features, with 17 of 24 patients requiring dialysis at disease onset, and with median renal survival of only 20 months. TMA-mediated extrarenal manifestations, particularly cutaneous and neurological involvement, were common and associated with poor overall prognosis. Complement studies identified low C3, normal C4, and high soluble C5b-9 levels in 33%, 100%, and 77% of tested patients, respectively, indicating a contribution of the alternative and terminal complement pathways in the pathophysiology of the disease. Genetic abnormalities in complement genes known to be associated with aHUS were found in only 3 of 17 (17%) who were tested. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study without comparison group; limited number of patients, limited available blood samples. CONCLUSIONS: Within the spectrum of TMA, TMA associated with monoclonal gammopathy represents a distinct subset. Our findings suggest that HUS associated with monoclonal immunoglobulin is a complement-mediated disease akin to aHUS.

Kidney Histopathology Can Predict Kidney Function in ANCA-Associated Vasculitides with Acute Kidney Injury Treated with Plasma Exchanges.

BACKGROUND: Data from the PEXIVAS trial challenged the role of plasma exchange (PLEX) in ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV). We aimed to describe kidney biopsy from patients with AAV treated with PLEX, evaluate whether histopathologic findings could predict kidney function, and identify which patients would most benefit from PLEX. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, retrospective study on 188 patients with AAV and AKI treated with PLEX and 237 not treated with PLEX. The primary outcome was mortality or KRT at 12 months (M12). RESULTS: No significant benefit of PLEX for the primary outcome was found. To identify patients benefitting from PLEX, we developed a model predicting the average treatment effect of PLEX for an individual depending on covariables. Using the prediction model, 223 patients had a better predicted outcome with PLEX than without PLEX, and 177 of them had >5% increased predicted probability with PLEX compared with without PLEX of being alive and free from KRT at M12, which defined the PLEX-recommended group. Risk difference for death or KRT at M12 was significantly lower with PLEX in the PLEX-recommended group (-15.9%; 95% CI, -29.4 to -2.5) compared with the PLEX not recommended group (-4.8%; 95% CI, 14.9 to 5.3). Microscopic polyangiitis, MPO-ANCA, higher serum creatinine, crescentic and sclerotic classes, and higher Brix score were more frequent in the PLEX-recommended group. An easy to use score identified patients who would benefit from PLEX. The average treatment effect of PLEX for those with recommended treatment corresponded to an absolute risk reduction for death or KRT at M12 of 24.6%. CONCLUSIONS: PLEX was not associated with a better primary outcome in the whole study population, but we identified a subset of patients who could benefit from PLEX. However, these findings must be validated before utilized in clinical decision making.

Prevention of Post-Transplant Diabetes Mellitus: Towards a Personalized Approach.

Post-transplant diabetes is a frequent complication after transplantation. Moreover, patients suffering from post-transplant diabetes have increased cardiovascular morbidity and reduced survival. Pathogenesis mainly involves beta-cell dysfunction in presence of insulin resistance. Both pre- and post-transplant risk factors are well-described, and some of them may be corrected or prevented. However, the frequency of post-transplant diabetes has not decreased in recent years. We realized a critical appraisal of preventive measures to reduce post-transplant diabetes.